There are many methods and apparatuses that utilize fluids, such as fluids for lubricants in internal combustion engines, fluids to apply forces in hydraulic systems, and other uses of fluids. In general, it is important to keep those fluids clean and free from contaminants.
A variety of methods and apparatuses are commonly used to remove contaminants and to keep fluids clean. Filtration is the dominant method for removing solid particulates from a fluid. Removal of liquid contaminants has also spawned a significant number of technologies designed to remove them including such methods as gravity separation, centrifuge, polymer absorption, vacuum dehydration, and evaporation.
Throughout the years a number of systems have been proposed and designed utilizing both filtration and evaporation as a method for cleaning a fluid by removing solid particulates and removing liquid contaminates from the fluid. In some cases these processes are carried out in a vessel designed to perform both operations and in others it is accomplished in two chambers designed to perform the operations separately. For various reasons, either the single vessel design or the two chamber design can be argued to have an advantage over the other, yet both suffer from the same disadvantages regardless of configuration. In particular, neither has the ability to satisfactorily adapt to the changes in their environment or operating conditions.
Historically these types of systems have been dependent on mechanical means for controlling the processes of cleaning. Flow control has been accomplished through the means of a valve or a fixed orifice designed to limit flow at a predetermined set of operating characteristics for their intended application, such as pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc. Heating for the evaporation process is also limited in that the element used is sized based on the same characteristics and is wired directly to a voltage source. Although, a number of configurations for this process have been proposed, none utilize a control to adjust the flow of the fluid or output of the heating element.
Unfortunately, the environments in which these systems operate are generally not characterized by static operating characteristics. For most of these systems, the dynamic environment in which they operate presents an issue with performance due to the inability of the cleaning apparatus or system to adapt to changing conditions.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for fluid cleaning that includes regulating those processes based on operating conditions. Those and other advantages of the present invention will be described in more detail hereinbelow.